HP E3000 MPE/IX, E3000/IX 31

Networking Concepts

Internetworks

Two or more networks of the same type or of different types can be linked together to form an internetwork or internet. For example, if you wanted to connect the nodes in a Point-to-Point network with the nodes on a LAN, the combination of the two networks would be called an internetwork. Creation of an internetwork allows any node on one network to communicate with any node on another network that is part of the same internetwork. Up to 256 individual networks can belong to the same NS internetwork.

The divisions between the networks in an internetwork are called network boundaries. Nodes in each network will have the same network address (network portion of the IP address); however, each network within the internetwork will have its own unique network address.

The networks in an internetwork may be connected by a bridge or router, or by HP e3000 systems conﬁgured as gateways.

Gateways

One method of joining networks in an internetwork is by using gateways. An HP e3000 system can have up to 256 gateways (combined number of full gateways and gateway halves).

Full Gateways versus Gateway Halves

NS 3000/iX allows you to choose between connecting two networks with a full gateway or connecting them with two gateway halves. A full gateway is a node conﬁgured as a full member of two (or more) networks for the purpose of passing information between the networks to which it belongs. The node is considered a member of each of the networks for which it is conﬁgured.

A node that is a gateway half is conﬁgured as a member of a network and as a partner of another gateway half. A gateway half link that joins two networks connects two nodes (a gateway half pair) by a Point-to-Point link (NS Point-to-Point 3000/iX Network link). The gateway half link and pair is not considered a network itself. Each of the paired gateway halves is conﬁgured as a member of a different network (the two networks to be connected) and as a gateway half on the same gateway half link. Together, the two gateway halves function as a full gateway.

Chapter 2